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J. M. BOLANO NAILMAKING MACHINE July 5, 1955 Original Filed July 12, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 J. M. BoLANo NAILMAKING MACHINE Original Filed July 12, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 239/ 23s as 4m 07,. BY M I I. v 452 347 INVENTOIE W ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 J. M. BOLANO NAILMAKING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed July 12,

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INVENTOR/ 0,, W

W fl w ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 J. M. BoLANo 2,712,131

NAILMAKING MACHINE Original Filed July 12, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR M34 ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 J. M. BOLANO 2,712,131

NAILMAKING MACHINE Original Filed July 12, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 551 554 2 255 581 572a. 472 402 2 4 450572& 471 5 259 4 430 54 V 'v w,

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ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 J. M. BOLANO 2,712,131

NAILMAKING MACHINE Original Filed July 12, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 550 485 fl 7! v 5/8 52/ l w Magvsmon 505 30 572i 518 BY 454.5.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 9 NAILMAKING MACHINE Jos Maria Bolafio, Buenos Aires, Argentina Original application July 12, 1951, Serial No. 236,301,

now Patent No. 2,673,979, dated April 6, 1954. Di-

' vided and this application December 30, 1953, Serial 6 Claims. (Cl. 1--27)- The present invention relates to a nail-making machine and is.a division of applicationSerial No. 236,301, filed July 12, 1951, the latter application being a cont'inuation-in-part of application Serial No. 40,735, filed July 26, 1948, now abandoned.

More. specifically, the present invention relates to a nailmaking machine of the type which forms nails from sheet metal blanks, which shall furthermore be adapted during the same working cycle to drive the nails fabricated thereby into a workpiece, the double function being performed once for every full cycle of operationof the main working parts.

A number of nailing machines are known having various operating systems, in all of which, however, nails made outside the machine have to be fed thereto.

According to the present invention, the nailrnaking and naildriving operations can both be performed by the one machine, due to the use of sheet metal blanks, which require only forming or pressing in order to produce finished nails, and, by reason of the fact that they are blanks, that is to say, small, flat metal plates, may be conveniently and compactly stored in the machine itself.

The advantages of the machine of the present inven'-, tion may be compared to those of a stapling machine of the so-called sewing type, in which the staples are A further object is to provide a nail making machine of the type described including a reciprocable slide structure comprising a magazine for nail blanks and a toggle actuated nail-forming ram means cooperating with a nailforming groove and a relatively stationary head forming member to completely form a nail from a nail blank in one operation.

. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation with certain parts broken away, of another embodiment of the effective mechanism of my nail making and driving machine.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line lll-lII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, with certain partsbroken away, of a reciprocating slide structure, the nail making instrumentalities having been omitted in order to show otherwise concealed structural details.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the reciprocating slide structure shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a blank feeding and die holding member.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a die forming part of the blank feeding and die holding member of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a magazine structure for nail blanks.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a pusher member for the magazine structure of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a channel guide for the nail forming ram mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view of the nail forming ram mechanism with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary end view of the housing of the Working parts, with certain portions broken away to show the corresponding end of the slide structure.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of said housing illustrating the method of mounting the magazine structure.

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic view showing the effective working parts in the position they occupy immediately on the conclusion of a nail forming and driving operation.

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view similar to that of Fig. 15, but showing the parts in the positions they occupy shortly after the commencement of a fresh Working cycle.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to that of Fig. 16 showing the parts at a later stage in the working cycle.

Fig. 18 is a view similar to that of Fig. 17 but shouing the parts in the positions they occupy shortly before the conclusion of the Working cycle, when the nail has been-formed and the hammer mechanism is about to be released.

Fig. 19a is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line XIXXIX of Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the ram ata stage in the working cycle corresponding to the condition illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16.

Fig. 19b is a view similar to that of Fig. 19a, illustrating the position of the ram at a stage in the Working cycle corresponding to the conditions illustrated in Fig. 17.

Fig. 190 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1% illustrating the position of the ram at a stage in the working cycle corresponding to the conditions illustrated in Fig. 18.

Fig. 19d is a view similar to that of Fig. 190 illustrating the position of the ram at a stage in the working cycle occurring just after conditions illustrated in Fig. 18, and just before the conditions illustrated in Fig. 15, and,

Fig. 20 is a perspective view of part of the hammer mechanism.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 through 19d and with particular reference first to Figs. 1 through 4, the machine in this embodiment, comprises a mechanism chamber 211 which may conveniently be mounted to a support, such as an upper housing 2il2, for a main shaft 205 which extends through a front wall 210 of said upper housing 202 (Fig. 2). For instance, the mechanism chamber 211 (Fig. 3) may be secured as by screws 210a to a flange 21Gb surrounding said front wall 210. The mechanism chamber 211 is open at both ends, and in the assembled condition of the machine, one end is closed by said front wall 210 while the other endis adapted to be closed by a detachable cover plate 212. The cover plate 212 may be secured in position against a flat margin 217 of the mechanism chamber 211, as by screws 213 passing through the raised marginal portion 215 of the cover plate and screwed into tapped holes 218 provided in said fiat margin 217.

The mechanism chamber 211 is defined by a substantially continuous peripheral wall 219, (see Fig. 3) the inner face of which is stepped as shown at 220 (Fig. 1) to provide an upper, narrower compartment 221 and a lower, wider compartment 222. The end of the main shaft 205 which passes out of upper housing 202 (Fig. 2) through the front wall 210, extends into said upper compartment 221 and has mounted thereon a crank plate plate 227 from which projects a crank pin 228 on which is mounted one end of a connecting rod 226, the other end of which embraces a gudgeon pin 226:1 mounted in a pair of lugs 236 forming part of a slide structure 235 mounted for reciprocation lengthwise of the chamber 211, in the lower compartment 222 thereof.

In the lower compartment 222, and extending between the floor 239 thereof (Figs. 2 and 3) and a transverse partition 400 fixedly mounted in the chamber 211 at the step 220 thereof, is a slideway plate 230 having a dovetail groove 231 formed therein and extending heightwise of said chamber 211. Preferably, said slideway plate 230 extends the full width of the lower compartment 222.

The slideway plate 230, although shown as integral in the drawings, may obviously and alternatively be built up so as to allow of the adjustment of the dovetail groove, as by the use of shims (not shown) in a manner which will be clear to those skilled in the art.

The slide structure 235 located in said lower compartment 222 has, on the face thereof adjacent said slideway plate 230, a dovetail projection 401 (Fig. 4) which is a sliding fit in said dovetail groove 231. The width of said slide structure 235 is less than the internal width of the lower compartment 222 and the height thereof is less than the distance between the outer face of floor 239 and the adjacent face of the partition 400, so that said slide structure may be moved heightwise of said lower compartment.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the floor 239 is apertured to provide a passage 238 into which the end of the slide structure remote from the partition 400 may extend. Preferably, though not necessarily, the parts are so proportioned that, when the crank pin 228 is at its lower dead center, the lower face 402 of the slide structure 235 is flush with the outer face of floor 239.

Still referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the partition 400 is perforated to provide a slot 403 extending widthwise of the chamber 211, to allow for the passage and movements of the connecting rod 226. As will hereinafter be explained, the partition 400 is further perforated to provide other openings for the passage of other operative parts.

Turning now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the partition 400 has secured to it on the side thereof adjacent the lower compartment 222, a support 367 for a feeder tongue 368, which extends into the lower compartment 222 parallel to the longitudinal center line thereof, and may be secured to the support 367 as by screws 36801, the support being secured to partition 400, as by screws 367a.

Near the end of the upper compartment 221 remote from the lower compartment 222, I provide a fixed surface in the form of a bearer plate 404 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Said bearer plate is fixedly secured inside the compartment 221, as by screws 405 passing through offset ends 404a thereof into said peripheral wall 219.

As best seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 13, one side wall, 406 is slotted to provide an elongated aperture 407 for a purpose to be hereinafter made clear. The upper wall 408 (Fig. 1) of the chamber 211, that is to say the wall opposite the floor 239, is likewise apertured to provide a perforation 409 for the passage of a hammer actuating rod 234 forming part of the slide structure 235.

Considering now more particularly Figures 5 and 6, it will be observed that in this embodiment the slide structure 235 comprises a generally parallelopipedal body portion 299 having a rear face 301 from which the aforesaid dove-tail projection extends. Said body portion likewise has a plain side face 302 and a slotted side face 303 and opposite the rear face 301, said body portion has a front face indicated by the reference numeral 305, which front face is, however, recessed to provide a plurality of stepped portions as will hereinafter be explained. The general contour of the slide structure 235 is completed by an upper end 300 from which the two lugs 236 project and opposite and parallel to said upper face is the lower face 402 to which reference has already been made.

As illustrated, the slide structure 235 is recessed heightwise at a position near to the plain side wall 302 to provide a hammer housing channel 540 extending the full height of the slide structure 235 and defined by a relatively long offset wall 541, a relatively wide transverse wall 542 parallel to the plain side face 302, and a relatively narrow transverse wall 410 which extends perpendicularly between the offset wall 541 and a step 411 extending heightwise of the slide structure and parallel to the offset wall 541 but nearer than the latter to the front face 305. Said step does not reach the lower face 402 but does extend to the upper face 300.

On the side of step 411 remote from the offset wall 541, the slide structure is recessed to provide adjacent i the upper face 300 a magazine channel 360 (Figs. 3 and 5) and also to provide adjacent the lower face 402 a press channel 321 having an inner face 320 coplanar with the step 411 and with the inner face 412 of the magazine channel 360. Said inner face 412 extends outwardly to meet the slotted side face 303 but the inner face 320 of the press channel 321 stops short of said slotted side face 303 to provide a link chamber, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The press channel 321 (Figs. 5 and 6) is separated from the magazine channel 360 by an elongated abutment member 413 extending widthwise of the slide structure 235 from the step 411 to the slotted side face 303. Said abutment member provides an upper supporting surface 414 and a lower bearing surface 415 as well as an inner abutment surface 416.

Heightwise of the slide structure 235, the magazine channel 360 is defined by the upper supporting surface 414 and an upper contact surface 319. Similarly, the press channel 321 is defined between the lower bearing surface 415 and a lower contact surface 319a.

The upper and lower contact surfaces 319 and 319a are themselves defined by shallow recessing of the upper and lower portions of the front face 305 whereby rabbets 315, 315a are formed and upper and lower front surfaces 316 and 316a are defined.

The upper rabbet 315 extends from the step 411 to the slotted side face 303, whereas the lower raobet 315a extends from the offset wall 410 to said slotted side face 303. widthwise of the slide structure 235 the upper step 319,

.; the supporting surface 414, the lower bearing surface 415 and the lower step 319a are of the same width and the upper and lower rabbets 315 and 315a are similarly each of the same width.

The upper step 319, the upper supporting surface 414, the lower bearing surface 415 and the lower step 319a each have a transverse groove. In Figure 5 all of these transverse grooves, namely the transverse groove 417 of the upper step and the transverse grooves 418 and 419 of the upper supporting surface 414 and the lower hearing surface 415 respectively and the transverse groove 420:: of lower step 319a are seen and it will be observed that they are in heightwise alinement and are located approximately in the middle portion of the upper step 319 and the abutment member 413. In addition to transverse groove 420a substantially in heightwise alinement with the grooves 417, 418 and 419, the lower step 31911 has a second transverse groove 420 provided. adjacent the inner end of step 319a, that is to say in that portion of step 319a which extends immediately below the step 411. The front faces 316, 316a of the upper and lower rabbets 315, 315a and the front face of the abutment'mernber 413 are provided with holes indicated at 317 to allow a cover plate 318 to be secured in position against said surfaces so that the outer face of said cover plate will lie substantially in the plane of the front face 303.

The lower portion of cover plate 318 (Fig. 5) which extends over the press channel 321 is somewhat thicker than the upper portion which extends over the abutment member 413 and the magazine channel 316, but as will hereinafter be seen that portion of the cover plate 318 adjacent the lower step 319a is thinner than the remainder of the thickened portion, thereby providing a recess indicated at 421.

Considering now Figure 6, which shows the slotted end face 303, it will be observed that behind the magazine channel 360 I provide a narrow elongated rod chamber 422 which extends heightwise from about the level of the lower rabbet 315a to the upper face 309 of slide structure 235. The lower portion of the rod chamber 42.2 is

widened, as indicated at 423, owing to the fact that, as

already explained, the inner wall 320 of the press channel 321 does not extend to the level of the side face 303. The upper extremity of the rod chamber 422 is widened widthwise of the slide structure 235 to receive a closure plate 424 which is drilled to provide screw holes 425 and 2. large orifice 426 and a small orifice 427 as best seen in Figure 5. The closure plate 424 may held in place by screws 428.

In the upper portion of the offset wall 541 screw holes 429 are also provided. The distribution of these screw holes will be best understood and explained when Figure 1 is again considered after the description of certain other accessory parts.

Turning now to Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, and considering first Figure 7, I have there shown a blank guiding and die holding member 430 which is adapted to be mounted against the step 411 of the slide structure (see Figure 5) and has an upper lateral projection 431 having an end face 432 adapted to abut against the inner end of the upper step and rabbet portions 319 and 315 of said slide structure, and a lower lateral projection 433 having an end face 434 adapted to engage the inner abutment surface 416 of the abutment member 413. Said lateral projections 431 and 433, although they may be formed integraliy with the blank guiding and die holding member 430, are more conveniently made separate and attached to said menber 439 as by screws 435. The side of the blank guiding and die holding member 430 adjacent the offset wall 541 is, in the assembled condition of the parts, substantially flush with the narrow transverse wall 416 and is also substantially plane. The opposite or outer side wall 436 of the member 430 has a feed bar groove 354 extending centrally along said outer side face 436 for substantially the full height of the blank guiding and die holding member 430. Thus said feed bar groove 354 will extend past the lower lateral projection 433 and past the upper lateral projection 431 and said projections will normally cover those portions of said feed bar groove which pass them.

That portion of the feed bar groove lying between the upper lateral projection 431 and the blank guiding and die holding member 430, will hereinafter be referred to as the mouth of the feed bar groove and for convenience will be identified by the reference numeral 437. The portion of said feed bar groove 354 between the two lateral projections 431, 433, forms a blank receiving recess, identified for convenience by the reference numeral 438. That portion of said feed bar groove lying between the lower lateral projection 433 and the end of the member 430 remote from the mouth 437, constitutes a die holding channel indicated for convenience by reference numeral 439, and to this end the member 439 is slotted perpendicularly to the feed bar groove to provide said die holding channel which extends right through the member 430 and is adapted to receive a die block 449, which is preferably made separable from the member 430 so as to per- 6 mit the use of various sizes of die block and also replacement of wear. Figure 8 shows a perspective view of'a suitable guide block'which is illustrated as having a die slot 330 the outer end of which, that is to say, the end thereof which in the assembled condition of the parts, lies substantially in the plane of the feed bar groove 354, is flared laterally and outwardly as indicated at 441 in Figure 8, and best seen in Figures 19a to 19b, to allow of a readier entry of the nail blank as will hereinafter be explained.

The die block 440 may be secured in position in the member 43% as by screws 442 passing through'blank holes 443 in said member 430 and into tapped holes 444 in the die block 440. Said tapped holes 444 must be arranged so that the screws will not obstruct the die slot 330.

The principal function of the upper and lower lateral projections 431, 433 is to act as combined supporting .and alining members for portions of the other structural parts as will hereinafter be made clear, but the upper lateral projection 431 has as an additional purpose, the guiding of the feeder tongue 368 (Fig. l) in alinement with the feed bar groove 354, particularly when the slide structure is in a lowermost position. As will be observed from Figure l, the parts are so proportioned that in the lowermost position of the slide structure 235, the free end of the feeder tongue 368 lies inside said mouth 437 of the feed bar groove, and is thus permanently kept in alinement with said groove. It is for this purpose that the blank guiding and die holding member 430 extends beyond the upper face 3% of the slide structure 235. Furthermore, it will be seen from Figures 1 and 7 that the upper portion of the upper lateral projection431 is cut away as indicated at 445 in order to lighten said projection.

Furthermore, because the upper end of the member 430' extends beyond said upper face 300, both the member 430 and the upper lateral projection 431 are thickened widthwise of the slide structure 235 to provide a step 446, 447 respectively (Fig. 7) so positioned as to form in the assembled condition of the parts, a continuation of the upper rabbet 315 of the slide structure 235. Similarly, the lower lateral projection 433 is positioned to form a continuation of the elongated abutment member 413 and said lower lateral projection 433 as well as the major thinner portion of the member 430 and the thinner portion of the upper lateral projection 431 are of the same thickness as the inner abutment surface 416 of the slide structure 235. The blank and die holding member 430 is mounted on the slide structure 235 against the step 411 as by screws 448 (see Figure l) passing through countersunk holes 449 (see Figure 7) and screwed into threaded holes 450 (see Figure 5). Said member 430 has likewise a plurality of shallow tapped holes 541 adapted to receive screws, such as the screw 451 (Fig. l) for securing the cover plate 318, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

It will be observed from a comparison and consideration of Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 7, that when the blankguiding and die holding member 430 is mounted on the slide structure 235, the inner end of the magazine channel 361) (Fig. 5) will have facing it, theblank receiving re-' cess 43S, and the inner end of the press channel 321 will have facing it the die holding channel 439.

The magazine channel 360 is adapted to receive an assembly of parts shown in perspective views in Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 shows a magazine housing 361 comprising a substantially U shape body portion 453, a side closure plate 454 and a cover slide 363. When the body portion 453 and the side closure plate 454 are assembled together, the magazine housing 361 is open at both the inner and the outer ends, but adjacent the latter said housing is slotted heightwise to provide channeled flanges 364 having cover slide channels 364a, into which said cover slide 363 may be slidingly fitted. The flanges 364 are arcuately recessed as indicated at 455, at a point about midway of their height, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The cover slide 363 is of a height to project beyond the upper outer side 456 of the magazine housing 361 to provide a finger portion 437 whereby said slide may be seized to withdraw it from the channels 364a, and conveniently said finger portion 457 may be perforated to provide a hole 458 for the insertion of a hook-like tool (not shown) to facilitate such withdrawal. The inner or lower end of the cover slide 363 is formed to provide a relatively deep U shape recess 459, the yoke portion 460 of which should, in the assembled condition of the parts, be at substantially the same level as the arcuate recesses 455 of flanges 364.

To act in cooperation with the magazine housing 361 for the purpose of advancing therein a set of blanks (not shown in Fig. 9 but indicated at 366 in Fig. 3), I provide a pusher assembly shown in perspective in Fig. 10 and identified by the general reference numeral 365. Said assembly comprises a pusher head 461, the general shape of which is that of an elongated rectangular prism, which has extending substantially centrally from the outer face 462 thereof a pusher rod 463 of length to project somewhat from the outer end of the magazine chamber 361. When the head 461 is adjacent the inner end thereof, said rod 463 has slidingly mounted on it a centrally perforated anchor member 464 to the face of which remote from the pusher head 462 is secured one end of a tension spring 465, the other end of which is adapted to be separably anchored to said pusher rod, as by providing a claw shape end turn 466 adapted to engage a transverse hole 467. y

The dimensions of the pusher head 461 are such that it is an easy sliding fit in the magazine housing 361, the internal dimensions of which are such as to accommodate in the same manner the blanks 366 (Fig. 3). It should also be understood that the distance measured widthwise of the slide structure 235, between the flanges 364 Of the magazine housing 361 is substantially equal to the width of a blank, so that when the cover slide 363 is not in position in the channels 364a, blanks may be fed to the magazine housing through the outer end thereof. Supposing then that the cover slide 363 and the pusher assembly 365 have been removed from the magazine housing 361, and it is desired to charge the same with blanks, the blanks are fed as just indicated, either singly or in preformed packets or blocks, through the outer end of the magazine housing, until a sufficient quantity has been introduced. It is to be understood that in the assembled condition of the various parts, the advance of the blanks or blocks of blanks, as they are being charged into the magazine will be stopped when in their inward travel, the blanks reach the blank receiving recess 433 1 of the blank guiding and die holding member 430 (Fig. 7). Because of this and in order to avoid the danger that a blank should slip down the feed bar groove 354 of which the blank receiving recess 438 forms part, it is preferred to use preformed blocks of blanks which may be made up by combining a plurality of alined blanks by means of a suitable adhesive.

After a sufficient number of blanks has been intro duced into the magazine housing 361, the pusher assembly 365 and the cover slide 363 have to be mounted therein. To this end, it is convenient to disengage the outer end of the spring 465 from the rod 463 so that the rod may more easily be located in its fully projecting position.

The head 461 of the pusher assembly 365 is then inserted into the magazine housing 361 through the outer end thereof, the anchor member 464 being able to pass into said magazine housing by reason of the arcuate recesses 455 which should also extend somewhat into the interior of said housing. The amount of blanks charged I blank. it is not in this embodiment essential that the width of the 8 assembly 365 has been located as just described the cover slide 361 is inserted into the channels 364a.

Whereby the cover slide will be located between the anchor member 464 and the adjacent turn of spring 465, so that said spring is effectively held at its inner end and can urge the rod 463 into the magazine housing 361 said positioning of cover slide 363 is rendered possible by the presence of the U-shaped recess 460 of said cover slide 363. By thus positioning the cover slide 363, the pusher assembly 365 is prevented from being withdrawn through the outer end of the magazine housing 361. The tension spring 465 may then be stretched to bring the outer end thereof into coupling position with respect to the rod 463 and may then be coupled thereto as by engaging the claw 466 in transverse hole 467. It will be clear that when the parts have thus been combined, the tension spring 465 will be in stretched position and owing to its coupling with the rod 463 will tend to urge the rod inwardly of the magazine housing and therefore, through the head 461, to urge the blanks in the housing towards the blank receiving recess 438, so that upon the removal of the innermost blank by the actuation of the machine as hereinafter described, the charge of blanks in the magazine housing 361 will be caused to advance one blank thickness at a time to position a fresh blank in the blank receiving recess 438.

In order to allow for the insertion of a stiif wire or similar instrumentality into the magazine housing 361 when it contains the charge of blanks, as for instance, in order to withdraw some or all of the blanks or to free a jammed blank, I may provide in the side closure plate 454 and in the opposite wall 468 of the magazine housing 361, a longitudinal groove 469, only one of which is shown in Figure 9, and may also provide on the sides of the pusher head 461 lateral recesses 47% positioned so as to coincide with the longitudinal grooves 469 in the assembled condition of the parts.

The arrangement of the parts of the blank feeding instrumentalities when in assembled condition is best seen in cross-section in Figure 3, from which it will be observed that the outer end of the magazine housing 361 extends beyond the slide structure 235 and through the elongated aperture 407 of the side wall 406 of the mechanism chamber 211. it therefore follows that the outer end of the rod 463 and the spring 465 of the pusher assembly will be outside the peripheral wall 219 of the mechanism chamber 211, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 3.

Considering now more particularly Figures 1, 4, 7, l1 and 12, the nail forming mechanism of the present embodiment will now be more particularly described. The active parts of the mechanism, as best seen in Pigures'l and 12, comprise a ram member 372 having at one end a ram head 372a the height of which ram head is such that it will be a sliding fit into the die slot 330 (Figs. 7, 190, l9d) of the die block 441 whereas the width of the ram head is equal to the width of said die slot 33%) at its narrowest part less at least twice the thickness of a As will hereinafter be more clearly appreciable,

ram head 372:: be exactly the width of the die slot less twice the thickness of the blank. in other words the ram head 372a may be thinner than the last given proportion.

The ram member 372 may be and preferably is somewhat thicker than the ram head 372a. Conveniently the width of the ram member 372 is substantially equal to the width of the die block 446.

The end of the ram member remote from the ram head 372a, that is to say the outer end of the ram member, has pivoted to it, as by a pivot pin 471 (Figures 4 and 12) of any conventional construction, a thrust link 472 to the outer end of which are pivoted as by a pin 473 a swinging link 474 and a pull rod 473, the pivoted end of said pull rod 475 being enlarged for this purpose as indicated at 9 476. Said enlarged end 476 has also secured to it one end. of a return spring 477.

For mounting the nail forning mechanism, I provide a ram guide plate 371 (Figure 11) which plate is of generally U-shaped contour, the yoke of the U forming an inner wall 4'73 and the legs of the U forming an upper relatively narrow ledge 47* a lower relatively wide ledge 43 9. The lower face 431 of the upper ledge 479 and the upper face 432. of the lower ledge 43% constitute guide surfaces between which the ram member 372 (Figure 12) is adapted to be rcciprocated as will hereinafter be explained.

The inner wall 478 of the ram guide 371 is divided into two parts namely an inner portion 433 and an outer portion 484 spaced a considerable distance apart to define an opening 4-35, the inner end of which comprises a substantially arcuate portion defined by an arcuate recess in the outer end of the inner wall portion sea. The outer wall portion 4&4 is perforated to provide a bearing hole 487 for a fixed pivot pin (see Figure 4) whereby the swinging link 474 is pivoted to the outer wall portion 484 on the side thereof remote from the ledges 4'79 and 43st).

The ram guide 371 is adapted to be mounted on the slide structure 235 between the lower bearing surface 415 of the abutment member 413 and the bottom step 319:; (see Figure 5). When the ram guide 371' is so mounted, and if the blank guiding and die holding member 436 is also mounted in position on the slide structure 235 as hereinabove explained, the inner end of the upper ledge 479 of said ram guide 371 will abut against the end face 434 of the lower lateral projection #533 of said member 4-3-8 (Fig. 7), and the inner end of the lower ledge 43% will abut against the lower end of said member 4:30 in such a manner that the upper face 432 of said lower ledge 480 is flush with the lower end of the die slot 330.

It will be understood that while 1 may make most of the parts of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 19d of the drawings of a relatively cheap material such as mild steel, the die block 440 (Fig. 8) and certain other parts, such as the hammer head to be hereinafter described, will have to be made of harder, more expensive material such as, for example, certain alloy steels. Hence, in connection with the die block 440 it is convenient to make it of as short a height as possible consistent with the requisite strength of the part. It may therefore readily occur that if the die block 440 is made of substantially minimum height, the lower end thereof will either not be flush with the lower end of the member 439 if said member is made long enough to reach the bottom step 311a when the lower lateral projection 433 is alined with the abutment member 413, or else if said lower end of the member 43% is flush with the lower end of the die block 440, the lower end of the member 439 will not reach said bottom step 319a unless the die holding channel 439 were formed as a slot closed at both ends. For production reasons, however, it is preferable to form. the die slot 439 as open at the lower end which means that at least the die block 441) will have its lower end spaced from the lower step 31%. To avoid unnecessary machining, and as shown in Figure 7, I prefer to make the lower end of the member 4-39 coterminous with the lower end of the die block 445) and to compensate for the difference in height by providing at the inner extremity at the lower ledge 48% of the ram guide 371 (Figure 11) a backing extension 489 which is stepped down as indicated in the figure below the level of the upper face 45%2 of said lower ledge 480, said backing extension being adapted to underlie the lower ends of the member 43% and the die block 44d.

Also, in order to secure a smoother passage from the upper face 432 of the lower ledge 48% to the lower end of the die slot 330 and also to provide a solid resting surface for the blanks when they are brought into position opposite the die slot 330, I prefer to provide in the member 430 and at the level of the lower end of the die slot 330 inwardly oifset steps or shoulders 490 adapted to rest on the inner end portion 491 of the up.- per surface 482 of lower ledge 480, said inner end portion extending the full width of the ram guide 371, to which end, the inner wall 478 and the upper ledge 479 are made slightly shorter than the lower ledge 480, the outer ends of the upper ledge and of the inner wall being however, preferably flush with each other.

The ram guide 371, and more particularly the upper ledge 479 thereof, is made long enough, widthwise of the slide structure 235, for the outer end of the ram guide 371 to project beyond said slide structure 235, preferably to such an extent that the outer end of the ram guide 371, will, in the assembled condition of the parts, be substantially flush with the outer face of the side wall 4% of mechanism chamber 211 (see Fig. 4) said ram guide therefore extending also into the elongated aperture M27 as indicated in Figure 4.

Although the ram guide 371 may be securely held in position by the cover plate 313 as will hereinafter be explained, for purposes of ease in assembly I prefer to provide individual fixing means such as a screw 492 (Fig. 11) adapted to pass through a hole 493 in the inner portion 433 of inner wall 478 and to be screwed into a tapped hole 494 provided in the inner face 412 of the press channel 321 (see Figure 4).

The outerside faces 495 and 496 of the upper and loW- er ledges 479, 48% (see Fig. 11) have also drilled and tapped holes 497' for receiving screws such as the screw 493 (Figure l) passing through suitable holes 499 in cover plate 313.

In order to ensure that the magazine housing 361 (Fig. 9) and the ram guide 371 (Fig. 11) shall be properly positioned on the slide structure 235, I prefer to provide positioning links, such for example as dowels 5% on the upper and lower outer sides of the magazine musing 361, of which however only the upper dowels 590 are visible in Figure 9, and upper and lower dowels 501 on the outside faces of the upper and lower ledges 479, 4% of the ram guide 371, only the upper dowels being visible in Figure 11. The upper and lower dowels 5% of the magazine housing 361 are adapted to engage the transverse grooves 4-17 and 417 (Fig. 5) of the upper step 319 and the upper supporting surface 414 of the slide structure 235, and also to engage similar transverse grooves 5il2 and 503 (Fig. 7) in the upper and lower lateral projections 431 and 433 of the member 430. Similarly, the upper and lower dowels Sill of the ram guide 371 are adapted to engage the transverse grooves 419 and 420a of the lower bearing surface 415 and the bottom step 319a of the slide structure 235 (Fig. 5) and also with the transverse groove 42% of said bottom step 319a and with a corresponding groove 7 594 provided on the under side of the lower lateral projection 433 of member 430 (see Fig. 7).

As best seen in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the cover plate 318 is adapted to extend between the upper rabbet 315 and the lower rabbet 315a heightwise of the slide structure 235, and from the slotted side face 3% to the level of the relatively narrow transverse Wall 41%), widthwise of said slide structure. The portions of the cover plate 31% extending from the upper rabbet 315 to the level of the lower bearing surface 415 is adapted to engage flatly the upper front surface 316, the outer face of the side closure plate 454 (Figure 9) of the magazine housing 361 and the outer front face of the abutment member 413 (Fi 5). The lower portion of the cover plate 318, however, owing to the difilerence in width between the upper ledge 479 and the magazine housing 361 which is substantially the same width as the lower ledge 489- (see Figs. 9 and 11), is thickened, as indicated in 5695 in Figs. 5 and 6 over a distance extending from the lower bearing surface 415 to the level of the upper surface 482 (Fig. 11) of the lower ledge er margin of the cover plate 318, has, in addition to the holes 499 for the screws 498 which secure the ram guide 371 (see Fig. 1), a lower row of holes 56?; adapted for the passage of fixing screws 509 which screw into the tapped holes 317 of the lower front surface 316:: (see Fig. 318 I provide a further row of fixing holes 52s adapted to allow fixing screws 521 (see Fig. 5) to be screwed into the tapped holes 317 of the abutment member 413, and similar holes 522 to permit fixing screws 523 to be screwed into the tapped holes 497 of the upper ledge 479 of the ram guide 371 (see Fig. 1.1). Along its inner margin, the cover plate 318 has a heightwise extending row of plain holes 524 (see Fig. 1) to receive the screws 525 screwed into the shallow holes 541 of the blank guiding and ram holding member 43%.

As can best be appreciated from Figures 1, 2, 4, l1, l2 and 13, the nail forming mechanism hereinabove described is adapted to be mounted in the ram guide 371 with the ram member 372 positioned between the upper and lower ledges 479 and 480 and in sliding engagement with inner portion 483 of the inner wall 478 and the pivot pin 471 for the inner end of the thrust link 4'72 positioned just outwardly of the arcuate portion 486 of the opening 485, and the outer end of the swinging link 474 pivoted to the outer portion 484 of the inner wall 478 1 by the fixed pivot pin 488 (see Fig. l) passing through the bearing hole 487 (Fig. 11) in said outer portion 484. As indicated in Fig. 1, the swinging link 474 will be positioned on the inside of the outer wall portion 484, that isto say on the side thereof remote from the ledges so .gg

that the thrust link 472 will be positioned actually in the opening .485 (see Fig. 11), the thickness of said thrust link being substantially equal to the thickness of the inner wall 483. As seen in Fig. 12 the enlarged end 476 of pull rod 475 is mounted on the side of swinging link 474 remote from the side thereof against which the thrust link 472 is mounted. Thus, in the assembled condition of the parts, the pull rod 425 will be spaced inwardly of the slide structure 235, from the ram guide 371 (Figs. 3 and 4). It is to accommodate the swinging link 474 and the pull rod 475 that the widened portion 423 (see also Fig. 6) of the rod chamber 422 is provided in the slide structure 235. It will also be noted (Figs. 6 and 13) that at the bottom of said widened portion 423 I provide anchoring means, for example, an eyelet 525 for the end of the spring 477 (Figs. 1 and 12) remote from the pull rod 475. Since the spring 477 is obvi ously a tension spring, in the assembled condition of the parts said spring will tend to maintain the linkwork 472, 474, in that end or broken position in which it is closest to the lower ledge 480 of the ram guide 371, and therefore said spring also tends to maintain the push rod 475 in its lowest position.

Said pull rod 475, as best seen in Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 13, extends heightwise of and beyond the slide structure 235 in said rod chamber 422 and through the closure plate 424 (Fig. 5) and passes through the partition 4% which to this end is suitably apertured. On the side of said partition 400 remote from the slide structure 235 the push rod 475 has a head 527 which is larger than the aperture for the push rod in said partition. The length of the push rod is such that when the slide structure 235 is in its lowermost position, that is to say the position in which it engages the work piece just prior to and during the nail driving operation, as will hereinafter be In the central zone of the cover plate T2 explained, the head 527 will be in engagement with the partition 4W.) and the toggle assembly 472, 474 will be in its upper broken position illustrated in Fig. l, with the spring 477 in stretch condition.

Extending into the rod chamber 422 along side and parallel to the pull rod 475 and preferably on the inside thereof, as shown in Fig. l, is a trip rod 528 which is headed at both ends, only the upper head 529 being visible in Fig. l but the lower head being indicated at 530 in Figs. 15 through 18, said trip rod extending through the partition iiiib and the fixed surface or bearer plate 404 which are suitably apertured for this purpose. The trip rod 523 also passes through a tail 531 of a latch member 532 pivoted at 533 (Fig. 1) between lugs 534 upstanding from the bearer plate 4&4- on the side thereof remote from partition 4559. Between the bearer plate 404 and said tail 531 is located a compression spring 535 which conveniently surrounds a guide pin 536 fixed to the bearer pla e 464 and extending through said tail 531. At the end of the latch member 532 remote from the tail 531 is a nose 537 adapted to cooperate with a notch 533 provided in the hammer actuating rod 234. The arrangement and dimensions of the trip rod 528 and latch memher 532 are such that when the slide structure 235 is in its lowermost position (see particularly Fig. 15) the lower head 535 of the trip rod 528 engages the inner face of the closure plate 424, through the hole 427 of which (see Fig. 15) said trip rod passes, and the upper head 529 engages the side of the tail 531 remote from the bearer plate 4M and acts to maintain the spring 535 in compressed condition whereby the nose 537 is held in retracted position with respect to the hammer actuating rod 234-.

The nail driving mechanism comprises the hammer actuating rod 234-, the inner end of which is fixed to a hammer bar 234a (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 20). Adjacent the end of the hammer bar 234a remote from the rod 234 I provide a laterally projecting somewhat elongated hammer head 381, one end of which is flush with the ree end of the hammer bar 234a.

To house the hammer bar 234a and the hammer head 331 I provide a hammer guide block 539 which is of generally rectangular crosssection and is hollowed out to provide a hammer bar guide channel 307 of a size to allow that the hammer bar 234a to be a sliding fit therein. Running heightwise of the inner end of the hammer guide block 539, I provide a hammer head channel 543 which comprises a straight portion 543a communicating with the hammer guide channel 3W7 and an outwardly fiared portion 5433b having its narrow end communicating with the straight portion 543:: and its wide end defining an opening in said inner side of the hammer guide block 539. Owing to this shape of the hammer guide channel 543 I prefer to make the hammer guide block 539 in two similar halves defined by a plane passing heightwise and lengthwise through the middle of said hammer guide block. The hammer bar channel 3497 extends heightwise right through the guide block 539 but the hammer guide channel 54-3 extends preferably only from the lower end of said hammer guide block heightwise for a distance sub stantially equal to the stroke of the slide structure 235 plus the heightwise dimension of the hammer head 381.

Corresponding with the shape of the hammer guide channel 543 described hereinabove, the hammer head 33;. (see particularly Fig. 20) comprises a straight neck portion 544 connecting a substantially V shape driving portion 545 to the hammer bar 234a. The height of the hammer head 381 is not critical, but it should be sufficient to give the hammer head the requisite stiffness to prevent undue yielding when driving a nail into a work piece.

The hammer guide block (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5) is adapted to be separably secured in position in the hammer housing channel 54$ of the slide structure 235, as by screws 5-46 passing through holes 547 the hammer guide block 539, and screwed into the tapped holes 429 provided in off-set wall 541. When the hammer guide block is made in two halves said screws 546 may conveniently be used to secure both halves in position without the necessity for other auxiliary screws for assembling the halves to each other. Since, however, the hammer head 331 projects only on the inner side of the hammer bar 234a, and therefore the lower portion of the hammer guide block 539 has on one side only the hammer guide channel 543, the distribution of the screws 546 on either side of the hammer bar 234a and heightwise thereof cannot conveniently be alike. Thus, whereas on the outer margin of the hammer guide block 539, there may be a plurality of equally spaced screws, for instance three, so arranged that, to ensure against undesired play, there are screws in close proximity to the upper and lower ends of said hammer guide block, on the inside margin thereof, the screws may occupy only the portion above the hammer guide channel 543, so that in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 5, one screw 546a and the respective tapped hole 42% therefor, are specially positioned as close to the upper end of the hammer guide channel 543 as possible. For compactness, it is preferred that in the assembled condition of the parts, the outer exposed surface of the hammer guide block 539 be flush with the front face 305 of the slide structure 235.

When the parts so far described are in assembled condition, the hammer actuating rod 234 (Fig. 1) extends through a large perforation 404m in the partition 4% through a clearance perforation 548 in the bearer plate 484 and through elongated perforation 40% in the upper wall 4% of the mechanism chamber 211. Surrounding that portion of the hammer actuating rod 234 lying between the hammer bar 234a and the bearer plate 404, is a compression spring 549 of internal diameter sufficient to permit the hammer actuating rod 234 to pass freely therethrough and of outside diameter such that the spring 549 will pass easily through the large perforation 401m of the partition 4% but will not pass through the small clearance perforation 5 58 of the bearer plate 404, so that said spring may be compressed between the hammer bar 234a and the under side of said bearer plate, when the slide structure 235 and its associated parts are moved towards the partition 4% as will hereinafter be described.

Referring now to Fig. 20, it will be observed that the hammer bar 234a has at its 'end remote from the hammer head 331, a pair of oppositely directed laterally projecting shoulders 23% which not only provide between the hammer bar 234a and the actuating rod 234 a larger bearing surface for the spring 549, but also act as stops for the hammer bar 234a with respect to the slide structure 235 to ensure that the hammer bar 234a will be positively lifted by the slide structure when the latter is caused to ascend during the operation of the machine as will be described herein-below, without, however, so tying the hammer bar 234a to the slide structure 235 as to prevent independent operation of these parts during the down or working stroke.

Before passing on to the description of the operation of my nailmaking and driving machine, attention may be drawn to a modification of the magazine arrangement, which modification is illustrated in the fragmentary view shown in Fig. 14. According to this modification, the magazine housing 661 is provided with a pair of outer flanges 55d extending parallel to the channeled flanges 664, but offset inwardly of said housing. Said flanges 550 are adapted to slide between the perforated side wall 406 of the mechanism chamber 211, and a pair of 2 section guide bars 551 mounted on the side wall 4416 alongside the elongated aperture 407 thereof, as by screws 5'52. By this construction the outer end of the magazine housing may be more securely held against undesired play, especially if, as may sometimes occur, the housing is narrower than the elongated aperture 467.

In Figs. through 18 l have illustrated in a someinmost blank is in the feed bar groove 354, by the preswhat diagrammatic manner four stages in the working cycle of the nail forming and driving mechanism according to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 15 duplicates schematically the position of the parts shown in Fig. 1 which illustrates said parts in their respective positions at the time when a nail has just been driven into a work piece (not shown). For the purposes of this description, it is assumed that the shaft 205 and consequently the crank disc 227 rotates in a clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 1 and 15 through 18.

As shown in Figure 15, the crank plate 227 and the connecting rod 226, are at their lower dead centre position. The slide structure 235 is in its lowermost position with its lower face 402 substantially flush with the outer face of the floor 239 of the mechanism chamber 211. The hammer mechanism including the actuating rod 234, the hammer bar 234a and the hammer head 381 are in their lowermost position with the lower end of the hammer head 381 flush with said lower face 4%, and the notch 538 retracted (downwardly) from the nose 537 of latch member 532. Said nose 537 is held in elevated position and the compression spring 532 is maintained compressed by engagement of the head 529 with the tail 531 of said latch member 532. The head 529 of the trip rod 526 is maintained in position to hold the latch member 532 in the position just described, because of the proportion of the parts already indicated hereinabove and of the fact that, in the position shown in Figure 15, the' In Figure 15, the magazine housing 361 is shown as containing a few blanks 366 which have been pushed to the inner end of said magazine housing by the pusher head 461 under the thrust of spring 465 acting on pusher rod 463. It is to be understood that the inmost blank, 366a is in the blank receiving recess 438 (see Figure 7) forming part of the feed bar groove 354 of the member 430, so that a blank is in position to the thrust down in front of the die block 440 by the feeder tongue 368 the inner end of which, as can best be seen in Figure l, is in the mouth 437 of the feed bar recess 354.

The nail forming mechanism is shown in Figure 15 with the ram member 372 and ram head 372a in fully retracted position with respect to the die block holding end of the member 43% so that the inner edge of the ram head 372a is quite clear not only of the die slot 33t but also of the die holding channel 439. it will be noticed that in Figures 1 and 15 the toggle mechanism 472, 473, 474 is in broken position with the link pin .73 in its upper position, in which it is closer to the upper ledge 479 of the ram guide 371 than to the lower ledge 480. Hence the spring 477 is in stretched condition in which it is held owing to the proportion of the part and by reason of the fact that in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 15, the head 527 i of the pull rod 475 engages the side of the partition 4% remote from the slide structure 235.

It should be borne in mind that the inmost blank, even if it is not struck to the other blanks, is frictionally held in alinement with the remaining blanks although said sure exerted on the pack by the pusher head through the action of a spring 465.

For convenience I have shown on a somewhat enlarged scale in Figures 19a through 19d those portions of the hammer mechanism and nail forming mechanism which are active in the production and driving of the nail. These fragmentary sectional views have been taken on the line XIX-XIX of Figure 1 referred to the slide structure 235 so that the plane of section rises and falls with the slide structure 235 with respect to the mechanism housing 211. Figure 19a corresponds as regards the position of the parts shown therein to the general conditions illustrated in Figures 15 and 16. Similarly, Figure 47b corresponds to Figure 17, Figure 19c corresponds to Figure 18, and Figure 19d shows the position of these parts at a stage between those represented in Figs. 18 and 15, in that order.

Considering now Figure 16, I have therein shown the partsat a time when the crank plate 227 has rotated clockwise approximately from the position shown in Figure 15. The lower face 402 of the slide structure has been raised from the floor 239 of the mechanism chamber 211. The hammer bar 234a and the hammer head 381 are in the same positions relatively to the slide structure 235 as they were in Figure 15, but owing to the lifting of the slide structure 235 by the connecting rod 226, which is now in an angular position past the lower dead centre and approachingg the upper dead centre, the spring 549 has begun to be compressed between the head 234!) of the hammer bar 234a and the bearer plate 404. The lower head 530 of the trip rod 528 is no longer in engagement with the closure plate 424 because the latter has been raised from said lower head. Nevertheless, the latch member 542 is maintained substantially in the same position as in Figure 15 by reason of the sliding engagement of the nose 537 (see particulariy Figure 1) with the hammer actuating rod 534, the arrangement being such that the latch member 532 cannot rotate about its pivot 533 to raise the tail 531 and release the spring 535 until the notch 538 comes opposite said nose 537 of the latch member and provides sufficient room for the partial rotation to take place,

Cir

On the other hand, the pull rod 475 although its head because on the approach of the slide structure 235 to said partition 400 the tension spring 477 has been enabled to act to draw said rod 475 towards said lower ledge, thereby causing the toggle mechanism 472, 473 and 474 to be moved from the upper broken position shown in Figure 15 to the lower broken position shown in Figure 16, whereby said toggle mechanism is caused to pass through the straight position (illustrated, though not for this particular phase of the working cycle now being described in Figure 18), so that during the movement of the slide structure 235 from the position of Figure 15 to the position shown in Figure 16, the ram member 372 with its ram head 372a will be snapped inwards and outwards by the movement of the toggle assembly, the ram head during the inward movement entering the die slot 330 (see Figure 7) which at this time is unobstructed so that this stroke of the ram and ram head is an idle stroke but it has the elfect of bringing the parts into a position ready for efiecting a working stroke during the downward movement of the slide structure. It should be observed that the hammer head 331 when in its lowest position (Fig. 15) is entirely below the die slot 330 so that the ram head 372a may enter the flared portion 543b of the hammer head channel 543. Since the hammer bar 234a is raised simultaneously with the slide structure 235 and together therewith by reason of the shoulders 234b, the hammer head 381 will still be below the die slot 330 when the parts move from the position of Fig. 15 to that of Fig. 16.

Still referring to Figure 16 it will be observed that the feeder tongue 368 is shown as extending further into the feed bar groove of the member 430 and to have just disengaged the inmost blank 366a from the pack of blanks 366 whereby the further upward travel of said inmost blank 366a is arrested, although the slide structure and its component parts continue to be moved upwardly thereby bringing the die holding channel portion of the feed bar groove 354 closer to said inmost blank 366a.

In Figure 17 the parts are shown after the crank plate 227 has completed half a revolution and is therefore at its top dead centre, so that the slide structure 235 will be in its uppermost position. It will be observed that the notch 538 of the hammer actuating rod 334 has been brought opposite the nose 537 of the latch member 532, which member has therefore been able to rock, in an anticlockwise direction as seen in Figure 17, about the pivot 533 whereby said nose 537 engages the notch 538 to hold the hammer assembly in the position shown in Figure 17 that is to say in its uppermost position until the latch mechanism 532 is actuated by the trip rod 528 at a later stage in the working cycle. The rocking of the latch mechanism 532 as just described is rendered possible because, as was noted already for the position of Figure 15, the lower head 53d of said trip rod is now at some distance from the closure plate 424, inwardly of the slide structure 235 and as a consequence of the relative motion which has taken place between the moving slide struc ture 235 and the relatively stationary trip rod 528. Thus, the spring 535 of the latch mechanism can, when the notch 538 comes opposite the nose 537, act to raise the tail 531 and the trip rod 523 which is free to respond.

The ram and toggle mechanisms 372 and 472, 473, 474, are with respect to the slide structure in the same relative positions as in Figure 16, but in Figure 17 they are at a higher level in the elongated aperture 4&7. The pull rod 475, however, has also been raised so that the head 527 thereof has been retracted some considerable distance from the partition 4%.

The spring 549 pertaining to the hammer mechanism has now been considerably compressed owing to the approach of the upper surface 3% of the slide structure to the partition 400.

The feed bar 368 now extends so far into the feed bar groove 354 that the inmost blank 365a now lies over the flared mouth of the die slot 336 and between said die slot and the ram head 372a.

Figure 18 shows the parts when the crank plate 227 has completed approximately 315 degrees of its revolution and is again approaching the lower dead center so that from the position shown in Figure 17, the slide structure has been moving downwardly towards the floor 239 of the mechanism chamber 211. Said Figure 18 also illustrates the moment when the nail is being formed and corresponds to Figure 190. It will be noticed that the toggle mechanism 472, 473, 474 is in straightened mid position so that owing to the fixed anchoring of the outer end of swinging link 474 to the outer wall portion 484 of the ram guide 371, the thrust link 472, and hence the ram member 372 with its ram head 372a is in fully advanced position inwardly of the slide structure 235. This change in the position of the component parts of the said toggle mechanism is brought about by the engagement or rather reengagement of the head 527 of the pull rod 475 with the partition 4%.

Also, it will be noted that the slide structure 235 has been retracted from the feed bar 368 which is fast to the partition 4G0 and, as shown in Fig. 18, has its free end already back in position above the pack of blanks 366 so that the pusher mechanism 4&1, 463, has already been able to advance the pack through one blank thickness to position another blank in the blank receiving recess 438.

Advance of the ram member 372 and ram head 372a unhindered except for the presence of the inmost blank 366a which is to be converted into a nail, by being thrust by ram head 372a into the flared portion 54311 of hammer head channel 543, is rendered possible by reason of the fact that the hammer head 331 and the hammer bar 234a are held in retracted position from the level of the die block 449 by the engagement of the nose 537 of latch member 532 in the notch 53% of the hammer actuating rod 234, which engagement continues to subsist by reason of the fact that the closure plate 424 has not yet reached the position to engage the lower head 53% of the trip rod 528, (after which engagement further downward travel of the slide structure 235 would exert a pull on the trip rod 528 and thus cause depression of the tail 531 of latch member 532, to cause the latch mechanism r to rock, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figuresl8, about its pivot 533 to retract thenose 537 from. said, notch 538). The position ofengagement of the closure plate 424 and the head 530 will be reached very shortly after the parts have reached the position illustrated in Figure 18 and just before the lower face 402 of the slide structure 235 has reached thelevel of the outer face of the fioor 239, of the mechanism chamber 211.

' Considering, more particularly Figs. 19b, 19c, and 19d, the first of these shows the position of the ram head, 372a as just about to thrust the blank 366a through the die slot 330 of die block 440, to form the blank into a substantially V section nail and position the formed nail in the flared portion 54317 of the hammer guidechannel '43.

Asshown, Fig. 19b corresponds to Fig. 17 since the hammer head 545 is below the path ofthe ram member 372 and ram head 372a, that is to say the hammer head is below-thelevel of the surface 482 (see also Figs. 1 and 1l ),-and the slide structure 235 is just about to commence its downward travel. -The ram head 372a will be held ,;retracted from the die slot 330 by the action of spring 477 (Fig. 17) until the slide structure has descended a suflicientamount to have carried the ram head 372a past and beyond the hammer head 381 which is held latched in its uppermost position as already explained.

: When the ram head 372a is urged toward the die slot- 330, as hereinbefore described the ram headthrusts before it the blank 366:: the later portions of whichare checked by the flared outer end 441 of the die slot 330 while the central portion of the blank is forcedinto said slot 330. It will be clear to those skilled inthe art, that .the convexly curved, flared portion of the wallsdefining the slot 330 will cause the marginal portions of the partly formed blank to slide comparatively smoothly into the die slot without emparing the elasticity of the material too much so that (although saidmarginal portions are closed in. towards each other during passage thereof through) said slot, they may after havingclearedthe slot and when the nail is positioned in the flared channel 543b, separate somewhat and thus owing to the elasticity 'of the material exert sufficient pressure on the, sides of said flared portion of the hammer head channel to hold the nail in position therein by friction toawait the hammer,below.

The delay in tripping the hammer mechanism between theposition of the parts shown in Figure 18 and the actual hammer blow is necessary in order to allow the ram member 372 and the ram head 372a to be retracted from said I outwardly flared portion 543b of the hammer head channel. crank plate. 237 past the position shown in Figure 18 andtowards the lower dead centre, and is possible because as already explained the head 527 of pull rod 475 is already again in engagement with the partition 400 and has, in fact, already caused actuation of the toggle mechanism to bring the same from its lower broken position to the mid straightened position. It will therefore be clear that further downward travel of the slide structure 235 will cause the toggle mechanism to be broken again and brought-into its upper broken position, as il- .lustrated in Figure 15, in which the ram member. 372 andram head 372a are in fully retracted position with respect to the die block 440 and therefore, with respect to ,said outwardly flared portion 54312 of said hammer head channel 543, since the latter lies on the side of' the die block 440 remotefrom the ram mechanism. The parts are so proportioned that as soon as the ram head 372a is clear of said outwardly flared portion 543b,.thetrip mechanism is actuated to release the hammer actuating ro d 234 whereupon the spring 549 will suddenly expand to'shoot the rod 234, the hammer bar 234a and the hammer head 381 towards the lower face 402 of the slide structure 235 and thus to drive the formed blank 366a out ofthe flared portion 54311 of the hammer head. chan- This withdrawal occurs on further rotation of the extending in said slide structure parallel. to the direction of reciprocation thereof and having an open side facing the inner end of said magazine, a blank feeder tongue, a fixed support outside and independent of said slide structure, said tongue having one end fixed to said support and a free end extending into said blank receiving channel on one side of said magazine, a die holding channel forming a continuation of said blank receiving channel and extending in coplanar relationship therewith on the side of said magazine remote from said feeder tongue, a die block in said slide structure and defining a die slot having an outer end coplanar with said die holding channel, and an inner end, ram means mounted in said slide structure opposite the inner end of said die slot and on thesame side of said die holding channel as said magazine, a hammer bar guide channel extending through said slide structure in parallel spaced relationship to said blank receiving and die holding channels on the side thereof remote from said magazine and having a hammer guide portion extending adjacent said inner end ofsaid die slot, hammer means mounted for reciprocation in said hammer bar guide channel and including a hammer head located in said hammer guide portion, slide actuating means for said slide structure, a fixed surface located in independent spaced relationship to said slide structure and on the same side thereof as said feeder tongue, compressible resilient means extending between said fixed surface and said hammer means, latch and trip means operatively associated with said hammer means and said slide structure to latch said hammer means in retracted position when the slide structure reaches a first position and to trip said hammer means when the slide structure reaches a second position, and toggle type actuating means for said ram means.

2.. Anailmaking and nailing machine adapted to form nails from sheet-metal blanks and to drive the formed nails out under hammer action, said machine comprising a slide structure, a guide block including guide means for guiding said slide structure, said slide structure being reciprocably mounted in said guide block, a magazine for nail blanks including an inner end, secured in and carried by said slide structure, a blank receiving channel extending in said slide structure parallel to the direction of reciprocation thereof and having an open side facing the inner end of said magazine, a blank feeder tongue, feeding means fixedly mounted outside and independently of said slide structure and extending into said blank receiving channel on ,one side of said magazine, a die defining a die slot having an outer end coplanar with said die holding channel, and an inner end, ram means mounted in said slide structure opposite the inner end of said die slot and on the same side of said die holding channel as said magazine, a hammer bar guide channel extending through said slide structure in parallel spaced relationship to said blank receiving and die holding channels on the side thereof remote from said magazine and having a hammer guide portion extending adjacent said inner end of said die slot, hammer means mounted for reciprocation in said hammer bar guide channel and including a hammer head located in said hammer guide portion, slide actuating means for said slide structure, a fixed surface located in independent spaced relationship to said slide structure and on the same side thereof as said feeder tongue, compressible resilient means extending between said fixed surface and said hammer means, latch and trip means operatively associated with said hammer means and said slide structure to latch said hammer means in retracted position when the slide structure reaches a first position and to trip said hammer means when the slide structure reaches a second position, and toggle type actuating means for said ram means, said toggle actuating means having two opposed broken end positions and a central straight position comprising a thrust link having an inner end pivoted to said ram means and an outer end, a swinging link. having an outer end pivoted to a fixed point on said slide structure and an inner end pivoted to the outer end of said thrust link to define a common point, spring means connected to said common point for urging said toggle means to one of said end positions, and a pull rod connected to said common point for pulling said toggle means through said central position to the other end position.

3. A nailmaking and nailing machine adapted to form nails from sheet-metal blanks and to drive the formed nails out under hammer action, said machine comprising a slide structure, a guide block including guide means for guiding said slide structure, said slide structure being reciprocably mounted in said guide block, a magazine for nail blanks including an inner end, secured in and carried by said slide structure, a feed bar groove extending through said slide structure parallel to the direction of reciprocation thereof and comprising a die holding channel and a blank receiving channel having an open side facing said inner end of said magazine and closely adjacent thereto and a free end remote from the die holding channel and defining an open mouth, a die block mounted in said die holding channel and defining a die slot having an outer end coplanar with the feed bar groove and an inner end, a fixed support mounted independently outside of said slide structure and opposite said mouth, a blank feeder tongue fixedly mounted to said support and having a free end said tongue being arranged in alinement with said blank feeding channel to extend thereinto through said mouth, a hammer bar guide channel extending through said slide structure in parallel spaced relationship to said blank receiving and die holding channels on the side thereof remote from said magazine and having a hammer guide portion extending adjacent said inner end of said die slot, hammer means mounted for reciprocation in said hammer bar guide channel and including a hammer head located in said hammer guide portion, slide actuating means for said slide structure, a fixed surface located in independent spaced relationship to said slide structure and on the same side thereof as said feeder tongue, compressible resilient means extending between said fixed surface and said hammer means, latch and trip means operatively associated with said hammer means and said slide structure to latch said hammer means in retracted position when the slide structure reaches a first position and to trip said hammer means when the slide structure reaches a second position, and toggle type actuating means for said ram means.

4. A nailmaking and nailing machine adapted to form nails from sheet metal blanks, and to drive the formed nails out under hammer action, said machine comprising a hollow mechanism chamber, a transverse partition in said chamber defining therewithin an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a bearer plate fixedly mounted adjacent the end of the upper compartment remote from said partition, a rotatable main shaft extending into said upper compartment, crank means mounted on said main shaft for rotation therewith, a guide block fixedly mounted in said lower compartment, a first guide means on said guide block, a slide structure, complementary guide means on said slide structure for cooperating with said first guide means to associate said slide structure with said guide block for sliding reciprocation with respect thereto, a connecting rod having one end coupled to said crank means and the other end coupled to said slide structure for causing said reciprocation, a magazine channel extending into said slide structure from one side thereof perpendicularly to the direction of said reciprocation, a press channel extending into said slide structure from the same side thereof and in the same direction as said magazine channel and in coplanar relation therewith, a hammer housing channel extending through said slide structure parallel to the direction of said reciprocation, a feed bar groove extending through said slide structure parallel to said hammer housing channel and between the same and said magazine and press channels, and having a mouth on the face of said slide structure adjacent said partition, magazine means mounted in said magazine channel and including an inner end adjacent said feed bar groove and blank feeding means, ram means including ram actuating means mounted in said press channel and comprising a ram head adjacent said feed bar groove, a die block defining a die slot mounted in said feed bar groove opposite said ram head, said die slot having an inner end communicating with said hammer housing channel, hammer means including a hammer bar mounted for reciprocation in said hammer housing channel, a hammer actuating rod extending from said hammer bar and passing freely through said partition and said bearer plate, and including a notch and a compression spring extending freely through said partition and having one end seated on said hammer bar and the other end seated against said bearer plate, latch means mounted on said bearer plate for cooperating with said notch to latch said hammer means in retracted position, trip means for said latch means, said trip means being operatively associated with said slide structure to be actuated thereby for tripping said latch means at a predetermined moment in the cycle of operations of the machine, a feeder tongue mounted to said partition in alinement with said feed bar groove and having a free end directed towards said feed bar groove, said ram actuating means including a pull rod extending through said partition and having one end connected to said ram actuating means and a head on the other end, said head being located in said upper compartment to contact said partition for moving said ram actuating means from one position to another.

5. A nailmaking and nailing machine adapted to form nails from sheet metal blanks, and to drive the formed nails out under hammer action, said machine comprising a hollow mechanism chamber, a transverse partition in said chamber defining therewithin an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a bearer plate fixedly mounted adjacent the end of the upper compartment remote from said partition, a rotatable main shaft extend ing into said upper compartment, crank means mounted on said main shaft for rotation therewith, a guide block fixedly mounted in said lower compartment, a first guide means on said guide block, a slide structure, complementary guide means on said slide structure for cooperating with said first guide means to associate said slide structure with said guide block for sliding reciprocation therein to and from said partition, a connecting rod having one end coupled to said crank means and the other end coupled to said slide structure for causing said reciprocation, a magazine channel extending into said slide structure from one side thereof perpendicularly to the direction of said reciprocation, a press channel extending into said slide structure from the same side thereof and in the same direction as said magazine channel and in coplanar relation therewith, a hammer housing channel extending through said slide structure parallel to the direction of said reciprocation, a feed bar groove extending through said slide structure parallel to said hammer housing channel and between the same and said magazine and press channels, and having a mouth on the face of said slide structure adjacent said partition, magazine means mounted in said magazine channel and including an inner end adjacent said feed bar groove and blank feeding means, ram means including ram actuating means mounted in said press channel and comprising a ram head adjacent said feed bar groove, a die block defining a die slot mounted in said feed bar groove opposite said ram head, said die slot having an inner end communicating with said hammer housing channel, hammer means in cluding a hammer bar mounted for reciprocation in said hammer housing channel, a hammer actuating rod extending from said hammer bar and passing freely through said partition and said bearer plate, and including a notch, shoulders on said hammer bar for establishing a one way separable connection between said hammer bar and said slide structure to permit said slide structure to carry with same said hammer bar when moving towards said partition, a compression spring extending freely through said partition and having one end seated on said hammer bar and the other end seated against said bearer plate, latch means mounted on said bearer plate for cooperating with said notch to latch said hammer means in retracted position, with said hammer bar adjacent said partition trip means for said latch means, said trip means being operatively associated with said slide structure to be actuated thereby for tripping said latch means at a predetermined moment in the cycle of operations of the machine, a feeder tongue mounted to said partition in alinement with said feed bar groove and having a free end directed towards said feed bar groove, said ram actuating means including a pull rod extending through said partition and having one end connected to said ram actuating means and a head on the other end, said head being located in said upper compartment to contact said partition for moving said ram actuating means from one position to another.

6. A nailmaking and nailing machine adapted to form nails from sheet-metal blanks and to drive the formed nails out under hammer action, said machine comprising a slide structure, a guide block including guide means for guiding said slide strucure, said slide structure being reciprocably mounted in said guide block, a magazine for nail blanks including an inner end, secured in and carried by said slide structure, a feed bar groove of width substantially equal to the width of a nail blank, extending through said slide structure parallel to the direction of reciprocation thereof and comprising a die holding channel and a blank receiving channel having an open side facing said inner end of said magazine and closely adjacent thereto and a free end remote from the die holding channel and defining an open mouth, a die block mounted in the die holding channel and defining a die slot of width less than the blank receiving channel and having an outer end coplanar with the feed bar groove and an inner end, a fixed support mounted independently outside said slide structure and opposite said mouth, a blank feeder tongue fixedly mounted to said support and having a free end, said tongue being arranged in alinement with said blank feeding channel to extend thereinto through said mouth, a hammer bar guide channel extending through said slide structure in parallel spaced relationship to said feed bar groove on the side thereof remote from said magazine and having a hammer guide portion including an inner extremity adjacent said inner end of said die slot, said inner extremity being of width greater than said die slot but less than said feed bar groove, hammer means mounted for reciprocation in said hammer bar guide channel and including a hammer head located in said hammer guide portion, slide actuating means for said slide structure, a fixed surface located in independent spaced relationship to said slide structure and on the same side thereof as said feeder tongue, compressible resilient means extending between said fixed surface and said hammer means, latch and trip means operatively associated with said hammer means and said slide structure to latch said hammer means in retracted position when the slide structure reaches a first position and to trip said hammer means when the slide structure reaches a second position, and toggle type actuating means for said ram means.

No references cited, 

